Warriors v Dragons: Tanah Boyd, Wayde Egan return to side in bid to break losing streak

Warriors coach Andrew Webster has recalled halfback Tanah Boyd and hooker Wayde Egan as the side looks to break a three-game losing streak when they face the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Boyd, 25, was dropped to the club’s reserve grade NSW Cup side last week after originally being named as a starter for the top grade team 24 hours out from their 32-14 loss to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Webster instead called on Te Maire Martin to fill in at No 7 for his second start of the season, but the utility left the field 22 minutes into the game after suffering a concussion.

Boyd has been named to return in the halfback jersey against the Dragons at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium on Friday night in what will be the Warriors’ penultimate home game of the NRL regular season.

Meanwhile, the Warriors will be without veteran second-rower Kurt Capewell, who also suffered a head knock against the Bulldogs. Leka Halasima moves from the bench into the starting lineup to replace him.

Egan returns to the starting side after missing the last two games because of a head knock and shoulder injury. He has replaced rookie Samuel Healey, who will shift back to the interchange bench.

The two sides last met in round 10 at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium, when the Warriors won 15-14 after a 69th-minute Luke Metcalf field goal.

Metcalf, the favoured halfback for the opening 17 rounds of the Warriors’ campaign, was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL against the Brisbane Broncos in June.

With four rounds remaining before the finals series, the Warriors hope to revive their top-four aspirations after three consecutive losses – against the Bulldogs, Redcliffe Dolphins and Gold Coast Titans – pushed them into fifth on the NRL ladder, one point behind the Penrith Panthers.

The Warriors have lost five of their last seven games, three of those in front of sold-out Go Media Stadium crowds.

The Dragons, meanwhile, sit in 11th place, four points behind the eighth-placed Dolphins. They have to win their remaining four games and have results go their way to have a chance of qualifying for the finals.

However, the Warriors won’t be expecting an easy win after the Dragons have upset top-of-the-table Canberra Raiders and seventh-place Cronulla Sharks in the past two rounds.

Warriors team to face Dragons, kickoff 8pm

Warriors team: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Adam Pompey, 4. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Marata Niukore, 13. Erin Clark.

Interchange (from): 14. Samuel Healey, 15. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 18. Freddy Lussick, 20. Edward Kosi, 21. Tom Ale, 22. Kayliss Fatialofa, 25. Bunty Afoa.